The anti-corruption fight of the President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration has further been dragged to the mud after Minister of Federal Capital Territory, Muhammed Bello, offered 15000 square meters of land to the President to build his Trust Foundation.

The parcel of land located in the highbrow Maitama area of Abuja was offered to Buhari at the cost of N5million in a lease term agreement for 99 years, The Street Journal reports.

The N5million, which the FCT considers to be the value of the land, is subject to a revision of the said value every five years.

Ironically, a plot of land in such high-brow area in Abuja,.which includes Asokoro, does not go for anything less than N500million.

In a letter exclusively seen by The Street Journal and addressed to the Muhammadu Buhari Trust Foundation, which is currently located at 8B, Winnipeg Close off Panama Street, Maitama, Abuja, and signed by the Director, Land Administration, on behalf of the FCT Minister, it states among other things the conditions required of the foundation to comply with to avoid a revocation of the right of occupancy.

The letter which is dated April 24, 2022 states that, “Within three years from the date of the commencement of the right of occupancy, to erect and complete work on the building and other works that conform with the purpose for which the plot is granted and that is approved by the Federal Capital Development Authority or any other agency, department empowered to do so.

“Not to erect or build or permit to be erected or build on the said plot, any building other than those permitted to be erected by virtue of the land use or permit to be made, additions or alterations to the said buildings to be erected or buildings already erected on the plot except in accordance with plans and specifications approved by the Federal Capital Development Authority or any other agency, department empowered to do so.

“Not to alternate the right of occupancy hereby granted or any part thereof by sale, assignment, mortgage, transfer of possession, sublease or bequest or otherwise however without the prior consent of the minister obtained.

“Not to alternate the right of occupancy hereby granted or any part thereof by sale, assignment, mortgage, transfer of possession, sublease or bequest or otherwise however without the full payment of the fees hereby prescribed.

“The minister or any public officer duly authorised by the minister on the behalf shall have power to either upon and inspect of the land component in this right of occupancy or any improvements affected therein at any reasonable hours during the day and the occupier shall permit and give free access to the minister or any such officer to inspect.”
Although it is an open secret that the President is entitled to some waivers as long as it is within the ambit of the law, this particular waiver is not only ridiculous, it is a fraudulent allocation that reeks of nepotism, the publication said.
By accepting this ridiculous offer, Buhari has not only openly shown arbitrary abuse of power by circumventing the law guiding land allocation and valuation in the FCT, he has shown that all along, he has only been paying lip service to his supposed anti-corruption war.